Equipment for Sterilization: Types, Processing Times and What to Check

Short answer: equipment for sterilization falls into a few classes, and which one a device can go into is decided by that device’s own instructions for use (IFU), not by the equipment. The CDC lists steam (or hot air), ethylene oxide, hydrogen peroxide gas plasma, peracetic acid immersion and glutaraldehyde liquid chemical sterilization as the main methods, with processing times from about 12 minutes to 10 hours. Who uses it: sterile processing departments, clinics, dental and veterinary practices, and the buyers who equip them.

What counts as sterilization equipment

Sterilization equipment is any chamber, system or liquid process intended to destroy all forms of microbial life on a reusable medical instrument. The CDC states that most medical and surgical devices used in healthcare facilities are made of heat-stable materials, and that for heat-resistant critical items the recommended process is steam sterilization. Items that are heat- or moisture-sensitive need a low-temperature technology, for which the CDC gives ethylene oxide, hydrogen peroxide gas plasma and peracetic acid as examples (CDC, Sterilization, page dated 28 November 2023; checked 2026-11-01).

This page maps equipment classes. For the methods themselves see sterilization technology; for the steam chamber see what an autoclave is and types of autoclaves.

Equipment classes compared

Figures below are the CDC’s Table 1 entries for each method. Exposure times and parameters for a given machine come from its manufacturer, which the CDC table also states.

Equipment class	What the CDC table states	Caveat stated by the CDC
Steam or hot-air sterilizer	Steam sterilization processing time from 3-30 minutes; exposure per manufacturer’s recommendations	Thermostability should be investigated when appropriate
Ethylene oxide (EtO) chamber	Generally 1-6 hours processing time plus aeration time of 8-12 hours at 50-60 °C	Exposure per manufacturer’s recommendations
Hydrogen peroxide gas plasma system	Processing time between 45-72 minutes	See the manufacturer’s recommendations for internal diameter and length restrictions
Peracetic acid immersion system	12 minutes at 50-56 °C	Material compatibility should be investigated when appropriate
Glutaraldehyde liquid chemical sterilization (liquid chemical sterilization, as used in a cold sterilization tray)	10 hours at 20-25 °C	Tubing must be completely filled; material compatibility should be investigated

Source: CDC, Table 1, Methods of sterilization and disinfection (checked 2026-11-01).

Steam and dry heat

Steam is the CDC’s recommended process for heat-resistant critical items. A steam sterilizer is the usual starting point; see types of autoclaves for chamber styles and autoclave trays for what goes inside. Hot air appears in the same CDC row as heat, but the table gives no separate time for it; the manufacturer’s recommendations apply.

Low-temperature systems: ethylene oxide and hydrogen peroxide gas plasma

These suit heat- or moisture-sensitive instruments. Two practical differences appear in the CDC table: EtO adds an aeration period of 8-12 hours after the 1-6 hour process, while gas plasma is shorter (45-72 minutes) but carries manufacturer-specific internal diameter and length limits for lumened devices. For method selection see low-temperature sterilization method selection.

Cold sterilization trays and liquid chemical systems

A cold sterilization tray is an immersion container for a liquid chemical sterilant, not a heated chamber. The CDC table lists glutaraldehyde at 10 hours at 20-25 °C and, for an automated peracetic acid immersion system, 12 minutes at 50-56 °C. Tubing must be completely filled, and material compatibility should be investigated. Liquid chemical products carry their own listed contact times; see cold sterilization solution.

Medical instruments sterilization: matching equipment to the IFU

The decision runs from the instrument to the equipment. The CDC’s own cautions are that thermostability and material compatibility should be investigated, and that gas plasma lumen limits come from the manufacturer. For reusable instruments, the manufacturer’s reprocessing instructions are the authority; see ISO 17664 for what those instructions must contain.

Questions to put to a supplier

• Which sterilization methods does each instrument’s IFU validate, and at what parameters?
• For lumened devices on a gas plasma system, what internal diameter and length does the manufacturer allow?
• Which materials and tubing is the liquid chemical process compatible with?
• What manufacturer documentation covers the exposure time for this machine?

Common mistakes

• Choosing a machine before checking that the instruments tolerate its heat or chemistry (thermostability and material compatibility).
• Treating a cold tray as interchangeable with a heated chamber when the CDC contact time is 10 hours for glutaraldehyde.
• Leaving tubing partly filled in liquid chemical sterilization.
• Applying one gas plasma cycle to a lumen outside the manufacturer’s limits.

FAQ

What equipment is used for sterilization?

Steam or hot-air sterilizers, ethylene oxide chambers, hydrogen peroxide gas plasma systems, and liquid chemical systems using peracetic acid or glutaraldehyde, per the CDC’s method table.

What is a cold sterilization tray?

An immersion tray holding a liquid chemical sterilant at 20-25 °C. The CDC lists glutaraldehyde at 10 hours at 20-25 °C for liquid chemical sterilization.

How are medical instruments sterilized?

By the process the instrument’s manufacturer validates: steam for heat-stable items, a low-temperature method for heat- or moisture-sensitive ones (CDC).

Sources

• CDC, Table 1: Methods of sterilization and disinfection, https://www.cdc.gov/infection-control/hcp/disinfection-and-sterilization/methods.html (checked 2026-11-01)
• CDC, Sterilization, https://www.cdc.gov/infection-control/hcp/disinfection-sterilization/sterilization.html (checked 2026-11-01)